Readjustment  in  Mexico 


The  continued  disturbance  in  Mexico  and  the 
consequent  interruption  of  missionary  work  were 
considered  by  missionary  leaders  a  favorable  oc¬ 
casion  for  a  readjustment  of  tbe  work  in  that 
country  on  a  better  and  wiser  basis.  Accordingly, 
during  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Foreign  Mission 
Boards  at  Garden  City,  N.  Y.,  January  14-16, 
T914,  representatives  of  eleven  boards  having  mis¬ 
sion  work  in  Mexico  met  to  consider  such  read¬ 
justment.  After  four  sessions  a  statement  con¬ 
taining  thirteen  recommendations  on  which  sub¬ 
stantial  agreements  had  been  reached  was  sent  to 
the  several  boards  interested.  This  statement 
says ;  “There  was  a  unanimous  feeling  that  the 
situation  in  Mexico  had  presented  an  occasion 
for  a  careful  restudy  of  the  missionary  work  in 
that  country  and  for  such  rearrangements  as 
would  increase  its  efficiency  and  provide  more 
adequately  for  work  throughout  the  whole  coun¬ 
try.”  After  full  discussion,  substantial  agreement 
was  reached  on  the  following  points : 

1.  One  missionary  paper  for  Mexico. 

2.  One  set  of  Sunday  school  lessons  and  lesson 
helps. 

3.  One  missionarv  publishing  plant. 

4.  One  theological  training  school  or,  at  most, 
two. 

5.  Cooperation  in  matters  of  property  titles  and 
government  recognition. 

6.  Union  and  coordination  of  girls’  schools. 

7.  Redistribution  of  territory  and  more  adequate 
occupation. 

8.  United  conference  of  missionaries  to  Me.xico, 
following  action  of  boards  on  these  recommenda¬ 
tions. 

9.  .\n  address  on  unity  to  the  Mexican  people. 

10.  Transfer  of  members  from  one  denomina¬ 
tion  to  another. 

11.  Enlarging  the  Latin-American  Committee. 

12.  Plan  of  adjustment  for  girls’  schools. 

13.  Request  to  boards  that  the  findings  of  this 
conference  be  reported  to  missionaries. 


f 


Laredo  Conference. 

A  meeting  of  our  own  missionary  workers  was 
held  in  Laredo,  Tex.,  February  lo,  ii,  1914,  at 
which  Bishop  Morrison  presided.  There  were 
twenty  present,  of  whom  thirteen  w^ere  mission¬ 
aries.  The  report  of  this  meeting  says :  “The 
recommendations  referred  to  this  conference  by 
the  Conference  of  Board  Secretaries  on  Cooper¬ 
ation  and  Unity  in  Mexico  were  considered  one 
by  onej  and  the  following  items,  after  full  discus¬ 
sion,  w'ere  unanimously  approved; 

1.  That  one  missionary  paper  in  Me.xico  should 
be  sufficient,  this  paper  to  provide  special  facili¬ 
ties  wherever  desired  for  the  presentation  of  the 
work  of  any  one  denomination  to  its  constituency. 

2.  That  one  set  of  Sunday  school  lessons  and 
lesson  helps  ought  to  lie  sufficient,  with  such  adap¬ 
tation  as  might  on  occasion  be  found  necessary 
for  the  use  of  particular  bodies. 

3.  That  the  separate  mission  press  establish¬ 
ments  might  wdsely  be  merged  into  one. 

4.  That  the  several  training  schools  or  theolog¬ 
ical  classes  should  unite  and  that  one  (or  for 
territorial  purposes  perhaps  two)  such  schools 
would  serve  the  purpose  in  Mexico. 

5.  That  the  question  of  cofhperation  in  arranging 
property  titles  or  securing  any  proper  government 
recognition  should  be  referred  to  the  Committee 
on  Latin  America  with  authority  to  confer  with 
the  Committee  on  Reference  and  Council  if 
deemed  wise. 

6.  That  the  girls’  schools  should  cobperate  and 
unite  wherever  possible  and  that  the  Committee 
on  Latin  America,  after  conference  with  the 
woman's  boards  having  girls'  schools  in  Mexico, 
should  make  a  suggested  scheme  of  coordination 
and  unity  for  these  schools. 

7.  That  there  might  wisely  be  some  redistribu¬ 
tion  of  territory  looking  to  the  more  adequate 
occupation  of  the  field,  and  the  matter  was  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  Latin- American  Committee  with 
the  request  that  -they  confer  with  the  boards  to 
ascertain  whether  there  could  be  adjustments 
made  which  would  secure  the  occupation  of  the 
whole  field. 

8.  That  there  should  be  a  conference  of  mis¬ 
sionaries  at  work  in  Mexico,  held  either  in  the 
United  States  or  in  Mexico,  as  should  be  deemed 
best,  to  make  a  restudy  of  the  work  in  Me.xico 

[  2  ] 


aid  to  carry  out  the  plans  reconiniended  1)y  this 
Conference  when  approved  by  the  boards. 

g.  The  preparation  of  a  .statement  to  the  nation 
after  tlie  fashion  of  the  statement  issued  by  the 
missionaries  in  Japan  last  \ear,  showing  the  suh- 
i  slantial  unity  of  the  missions  in  their  messag 
and  <'m  appeal  to  the  Mexican  people  with  a 
11  united  voice  at  this  time  of  their  realization  of 
1  their  need — -such  a  statement  to  be  ready  to 
i  be  issued  when  the  i)resent  time  of  disorder  is 
I  past.  It  was  suggested  that  the  missionaries 
now  in  Mexico  City  might  at  once  take  in  hand 
the  preparation  of  such  a  statement,  to  he  submit¬ 
ted  to  missionaries  in  other  parts  of  the  country 
and  prepared  for  the  signatures  of  as  many  of  the 
missionaries  in  Mexico  as  possible. 

to.  That  the  attention  of  the  missions  be  called 
to  the  desirability  of  arranging  for  the  transfer 
of  Church  members  moving  from  one  section  of 
the  country  to  another,  according  to  the  principle 
which  has  been  recogrized  b\'  all  the  Churches, 
including  the  Church  of  England  and  the  Friends, 
in  fields  like  Aladagascar. 

This  meeting  also  made  recommendations  to 
the  General  Conference  concerning  the  transfer 
of  Mexican  work  in  Texas  to  the  Home  Depart¬ 
ment  and  in  reference  to  boundaries  of  missions 
nr  Conferences  in  Mexico. 

On  June  30  and  July  i,  1914,  a  conference  con¬ 
vened  in  Cincinnati  on  call  of  the  Latin-American 
Committee.  This  conference  was  made  up  of 
representatives  of  nine  mission  boards,  the  Amer¬ 
ican  Bible  Society,  and  the  Young  Men’s  Christian 
.\ssociation.  Bishop  Wf  R.  Lambuth  presided. 
This  conference  appointed  live  committees,  to 
which  were  referred  the  various  recommendations 
and  suggestions  made  by  the  former  conferences. 
The  reports  of  these  committees,  after  thorough 
consideration,  were  adopted.  The  conclusions  of 
this  conference  were  more  elaborate  and  went 
more  into  detail  and  methods  of  carrying  out  the 
various  recommendations  than  those  of  the  other 
conferences  had  done.  A  full  report  was  fur¬ 
nished  each  board  interested,  to  he  considered 
and  passed  upon. 

Printed  copies  of  this  report  were  mailed  to 
our  missionaries  to  Mexico  and  to  each  member 
of  the  Board  prior  to  the  meeting  of  September 
29,  and  the  report  was  made  the  basis  for  the  call 

t  3  ] 


and  action  of  the  Board.  Ours  was  the  first 
board  to  take  action,  as  ours  had  been  the  first 
mission  to  meet  and  indorse  the  movement, 
d'here  were  thirty-three  members  of  the  Board 
present.  There  was  deep  interest  and  enthusiastic 
approval  of  the  plan  in  general.  The  Board  found 
its  chief  difficulty  in  going  the  full  length  of  the 
recommendations  on  redistribution  of  territory 
and  some  other  features  because  of  legal  limi¬ 
tations,  especially  on  the  question  of  the  fixing  of 
boundaries. 

The  Board  appointed  a  committee  consisting  of 
W.  W.  Pinson,  Miss  Mabel  Head,  Bruce  R. 
Payne,  R.  F.  Burden,  and  J.  W.  Perry  to  bring  in 
a  report  on  the  whole  question.  This  report,  as 
follows,  was  adopted  and  made  the  action  of  the  i 
Board  after  full  and  thorough  discussion  : 

Action  of  the  Board. 

Your  committee,  having  had  before  it  the  con¬ 
clusions  and  recommendations  of  a  meeting  of 
representatives  of  our  own  mission  at  Laredo  and 
of  nine  mission  boards  held  in  Cincinnati  June  > 
30  and  July  i,  1914.  and  being  convinced  of  the  i 
need  of  a  readjustment  of  mission  work  in  Me.x- 
ico  and  of  the  substantial  correctness  of  the  i 

findings  of  said  meeting,  begs  leave  to  recom-  ! 

mend :  That  this  Board  give  its  full  and  hearty 
concurrence  in  the  principle  of  comity  and  co¬ 
operation  involved  as  a  proper  step  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  that  fuller  unity  for  which  all  good  men 
are  praying,  and  also  that  it  pledge  its  coopera¬ 
tion  in  the  realization  of  the  general  scheme 
proposed  by  said  meetings. 

L  Press  and  Publications. 

In  view  of  the  urgent  need  of  a  sound  and 
suitable  Christian  literature  for  the  Mexican  peo¬ 
ple  and  the  inadequacy  and  e.xpensiveness  of  sep¬ 
arate  denominational  methods  of  producing  and 
disseminating  such  a  literature,  it  is  recommend¬ 
ed  that  this  Board  pledge  its  cooperation  in  an 
effort  to  realize  the  following  proposals : 

1.  A  joint  depository  and  selling  agency  in 
Mexico  City. 

2.  To  reduce  the  number  of  Church  papers  to 
as  few  as  may  be  found  practicable  on  the  field. 

3.  The  establishment  of  an  illustrated  young 
people’s  paper. 


[  4  I 


4-  The  establishment  of  a  joint  publishing  plant 
in  Mexico  City  on  the  basis  of  a  proportionate 
sharing  of  expenses  by  the  cooperating  denomi¬ 
nations. 

We  would  recommend  concurrence  in  the  rec¬ 
ommendation  that  this  enterprise  be  under  the 
control  of  a  joint  board  consisting  cf  one  member 
each,  to  be  named  by  the  cooperating  boards.  We 
nominate  Rev.  N.  E.  Joyner  as  our  representative. 

11.  General  Education. 

We  recommend  concurrence  in  the  recommen¬ 
dations  of  the  Cincinnati  meeting,  which  are  as 
follows : 

1.  That  domestic  and  manual  arts  be  taught  in 
all  schools  as  far  as  practicable. 

2.  That  an  elementary  school  be  carried  on,  as 
far  as  possible,  w’herever  there  is  an  organized 
congregation,  and  that  in  the  larger  places  there 
be  added  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades,  so  that  pu¬ 
pils  may  be  prepared  for  admission  into  the 
higher  institutions. 

3.  That  there  be  high  schools  established,  at 
least  one  for  boys  and  one  for  girls,  within  each 
mission  territory.  The  course  of  study  in  these 
schools  should  include  vocational  training. 

4.  That  the  various  missions  working  in  Mexico 
appoint  a  Committee  on  Education,  the  committee 
to  be  composed  of  one  person  representing  each 
mission,  to  be  appointed  as  the  mission  shall  de¬ 
termine.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  committee 
to  study  the  question  of  edrreation  and  make  sug¬ 
gestions  for  the  curriculum,  conduct,  and  corre¬ 
lation  of  our  schools. 

5.  The  consolidation  of  the  higher  grades  of  the 
primary  schools  in  such  places  as  are  occupied  by 
two  or  more  denominations. 

6.  That  a  union  college  for  men  and  women  be 
established  at  some  central  place,  and  that  in 
connection  with  this  college  there  be  established 
normal,  industrial,  and  kindergarten  training 
schools. 

7.  The  committee  also  recommends  the  consoli¬ 
dation  of  normal  schools  where  two  or  more  exist 
in  one  center  and  that  where  only  one  normal 
school  exists  the  question  of  its  continuance  or 
discontinuance  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
denomination  concerned. 


8.  The  committee  recommends  the  appointment 
of  a  Committee  on  General  Education  for  the 
founding  of  the  college  and  affiliated  schools,  this 
committee  to  be  composed  of  two  members  rep¬ 
resenting  each  denomination,  to  be  appointed  as 
each  board  or  denomination  may  determine. 

9.  The  committee  recommends  the  appointment 
by  the  Committee  on  General  Education  or  by  the 
boards  of  a  financial  agent  for  Union  College  and 
affiliated  schools. 

\\T  suggest  for  our  representatives  on  the 
General  Education  Committee  Ed  F.  Cook  and 
Miss  Mabel  Head. 

III.  Theological  Education. 

We  believe  that  there  is  no  more  serious  need 
in  Me.xico  than  that  of  a  well-equipped  theolog¬ 
ical  school,  and  conditions  point  to  a  union  of 
Churches  on  such  an  enterprise  as  feasible  and 
desirable.  “Not  only  has  it  been  recommended 
by  the  Committee  on  Codperation  representing 
the  principal  boards  working  in  Mexico,  but  it 
represents  a  widespread  and  growing  sentiment 
among  missionaries  and  native  workers  in  that 
land.”  The  recommendations  on  this  came  to  us 
as  expressing  the  desire  of  representatives  of 
nine  different  Churches.  We  therefore  recom¬ 
mend  concurrence  in  the  following : 

1.  The  establishment  of  a  Bible  institute  and 

theological  seminary  to  be  known  as  the  Bible 
Institute  and  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Evan¬ 
gelical  Church  in-  Mexico  (Instituto  Biblico  y 
Seminaro  Theologico  de  la  Iglesia  Evangelisa  en 
Mexico).  ■  . 

2.  This  school  shall  be  under  the  control  of  the 
board  of  directors,  elected  by  missions  or 
Churches  that  cooperate  in  its  support. 

3.  The  board  of  directors  shall  have  control  of 
the  property  and  funds  contributed  to  the  support 
of  the  school,  shall  elect  the  members  of  the  fac¬ 
ulty  with  the  approval  of  the  various  missions  or 
Churches,  and  shall  discharge  the  various  duties 
that  ordinarily  correspond  to  the  directorship  of 
such  institutions. 

We  prefer  to  leave  recommendations  4,  5,  6, 
and  7  under  this  head  to  the  committee  that  shall 
have  it  in  charge  and  to  future  developments, 
with  our  general  approval. 

We  recommend  that  the  lf)Cating  and  estab- 
t  6  ] 


lishing  of  the  Bible  Institute  and  Theolo^igical 
Seminary  he  made  one  of  the  duties  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Education  Committee. 

We  nominate  as  our  representative  on  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Bible  Institute  and 
'rheological  Seminary  R.  C.  Elliott. 

IV.  Territorial  Occupation. 

'I'he  readjustment  of  territory  is  interpreted  to 
mean  the  agreement  to  assume  “primary  respon¬ 
sibility”  for  a  given  territory.  By  this  means  the 
whole  country  would  be  assigned  and  each  Church 
assume  primary  responsibility  for  the  part  as¬ 
signed  to  it,  other  Churches  leaving  it  to  work 
out  that  responsibility.  It  need  not  be  said  that 
we  cannot  change  Conference  lines,  since  the 
General  Conference  alone  can  do  that.  We  can, 
however,  determine  the  location  of  institutions, 
ihe  expenditure  of  missionary  money,  and  the 
placing  of  missionaries  with  the  cooperation  of 
the  bishop  in  charge.  Neither  can  we  determine 
a  change  of  Church  membership.  Those  who  are 
Methodists  can  remain  so  and  continue  their 
worship,  their  organization,  and  their  ministra¬ 
tion.  It  is  not  to  be  thought  of  that  we  can 
transfer  members  without  their  consent.  We 
can  only  determine  our  policy  of  support,  of  ter¬ 
ritorial  assignment  of  missionaries,  the  location 
of  institutions,  and  the  distribution  of  funds  for 
support  and  e.xtension. 

In  all  these  matters  that  concern  the  denomina¬ 
tional  relation  of  the  Mexicans  the  plan  involves 
their  consultation  and  cooperation  ;  but  in  matters 
of  missionary  policy,  the  extension  or  adjustment 
of  territory,  etc.,  it  is  obviously  our  responsibility 
as  a  Board  to  determine. 

Accepting  the  proposed  readjustment  of  terri¬ 
tory  as  interpreted  by  the  Cincinnati  meeting  as 
meaning  the  agreement  to  assume  “primary  re¬ 
sponsibility”  for  a  given  territory  and  also  the 
agreement  not  to  enter  new'  territory  where  some 
other  denomination  is  made  primarily  responsi¬ 
ble,  we  give  our  hearty  indorsement  to  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  readjustment. 

We  recommend  the  fullest  cooperation  that 
this  Board  and  its  representatives  can  give  within 
the  limits  of  the  law  of  the  Church  and  with  due 
regard  to  Conference  lines  as  fi.xed  by  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Conference  in  working  toward  the  realization 

[  7  ] 


of  this  end.  We  recommend  that  in  the  location 
of  mission  stations,  of  institutions,  and  in  other 
matters  not  transgressing-  either  the  Discipline  or 
the  rights  of  missionaries  or  members  we  so  ad¬ 
minister  onr  mission  in  Mexico  as  to  promote 
the  proposed  readjustment  and  cooperation  until 
such  time  as  General  Conference  action  can  be 
secured. 

In  taking  this  action  we  intend  only  to  indorse 
the  general  principle  of  territorial  distribution. 
Only  the  General  Conference  has  authority  to 
change  the  boundaries  of  our  Annual  Conferences 
or  to  surrender  the  territory  now  occupied  by  our 
Board. 

V.  General  Recommendations. 

(See  pages  18-21,  report  of  Cincinnati  Confer¬ 
ence.) 

We  would  concur  in  the  recommendations  con¬ 
cerning  (i)  self-support,  (2)  a  month  of  evan¬ 
gelism,  (3)  promotion  of  education,  (4)  medical 
missions,  (5)  missionaries  and  their  preparation, 
(6)  language  study,  (7)  a  permanent  Committee 
of  Reference  on  the  field.  We  nominate  as  our 
representative  for  this  committee  F.  S.  Onder- 
donk;  Miss  Esther  Case,  alternate. 

We  further  recommend  the  formation  of  a  Con¬ 
sulting  Committee,  to  be  composed  of  two  repre¬ 
sentatives  (Mexicans)  from  each  cooperating 
Church,  who  shall  give  advice  and  counsel  in  all 
these  matters  and  also  keep  in  touch  with  the 
Churches  in  Mexico  and  seek  their  approval  and 
cooperation  in  all  that  is  proposed.  We  nominate 
.Andres  Osuna  and  Julian  Castro  to  represent  us 
on  this  committee. 

In  view  of  the  enlargement  of  the  Committee 
on  Latin  America  representing  the  mission  boards 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  already  provided 
for,  and  in  consideration  of  the  extent  and  im¬ 
portance  of  the  educational  work  being  done  by 
the  women  in  Latin  lands,  we  respectfully  request 
the  addition  of  at  least  two  women  to  that  com¬ 
mittee.  one  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  one  from  the  Methodist  Episcooal  Church, 
South. 


Hoard  of  Missions  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South 
810  Broadway,  Nashville,  Tenn. 


r  ^  1 


